Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-06-05

led up to the war. For a considerable
time the question of human slavery
was treated by large majority of our
people as a purely political and economi-
cal matter. The moral aspects of it were
not seen, and good men failed to see to
what it must lead. From 1910 to 1860
this discussion went on in Congress and
throughout the land In looking back
over these agitated times we must recog-
nize Il providential hand. 1t was no
chance happening which gave to the
cause of human freedom such singers as
Longfellow, Whittier and Lowell; such
statesmen as Seward, Hale, Foote, Cola
ner, Giddings. Chase, Sumner and Lin
coin; such orators as Theodore Parker,
Wendell Phillips, Garrison and Beecher
From 1850 to 1860 the discussion was at
white heat, famed by the repeal of the
Missouri compromise and the war in Kan
sas. Disunion was threatened if the de-
mands of the South were not granted.
The doughfaces were for yielding every
thing. But the party of freedom was
growing and at the critical hour could
place at the helm an incorruptible patri-
OF and wise statesman in the person of
Abraham Lincoln as the ship of state
sailed into the storm of the next four
years. The flame and smoke of battle
swept over the land, but when it cleared
away the union had triumphed and sav
cry was dead. This agitation and discus
sion of the principle of liberty was a
needful education of the people for the
great conflict of arms. Without it we
might have yielded once too often and
sealed the fate of the union. On the 18th
of April, 1851, the guns of rebels were
opened upon Fort Sumter. War became
the great business of the country. SO
universal was the uprising that hardly Il
family was left unrepresentcd on the
field. And this went on for four long
years until it seemed as if it would never
end. But it came at last. Four years
almost to day from the firing on Sum-
ter our cities were resounding with the
peaceful salutes of victory. Among the
reasons to be given for services which
keep alive the memory of our bloody fra
ternal strife this is not least. that the sac
ritices demanded by such a conflict. and
the cost even of its successful issue, are
too great often to recur in a nations his
tory. And we did not have to wait until
the close of the war to know what it was
costing the country. From the very first.
name after name was added to the list of
our fallen heroes. Amid tokens of uni
versal respect and mourning. we tender
city of the dead and felt that their dust
was precious treasure to be marked
with memorial columns that might pre-
serve their names and deeds to latest gen
erations. Twenty-Five years have passed
since the last of these graves were made,
and you, their comrades. have today
streWed them with the freshest flowers
of spring in token of the respect in
which their memory is still held by
a grateful nation. 1t is fitting that there
should be a day set apart for such an
annual commemmoration service. when
the cause the dead heroes fought for
means so much. There would be an in
felicity, to say the least. of which think
the American people incapable. in taking
the anniversary of our greatest victory
for such CONTAMINATION. for they were
our brothers whom we fought; but in
presence of our dead we may well meet
to do honor to those whose patriotism
did honor To our whole American people.
Their deeds and deaths shed lustrc upon
the dear old flag wherever it floats around
the world. and have made it evermore Il
prouder thing to be an American citizen.
If | may be permitted to offer single
suggestion, ! would say that the name
'Decoration day" does not seem well
chosen. Memorial day or Heroes day
were better. For we cannot decorate
these graves. Honor has been here be-
fore Us and set her immortal seal upon
the greensward that lies above their
sleeping forms. and long after we are
dust the genius of Liberty shall light her
torches here as from perpetual fires.
But why does this nation live. strong.
pussant, confident of its future: The
answer is yonder. 1t lies in those graves
you have garlanded with sweet flowers.
1t was stern necessity, bitter choice.
which Providence offered us when events
forced us to decide between two deaths
the death of country and of all that goes
with country. and the death of your best
and bravest sons. They did not hest
tate and in this sublime devotion and
spirit of self-sacrifice they did die. and
by their faith the country did live. and
lives to-day, the happy home, the pride
and boast of sixty millions of free peo-
pie. After the lapse of century Ameri-
can sons and daughters have shown that
they have lost none of the elements of
virile character and are worthy to hold
that heritage of freedom which brave
men and women won and bequeathed so
long ago. The spirit of l716 still lives
and is as glorious as ever. The age
which gave to American history the
name of Washington is well matched by
that which has furnished another, not
less illustriOus among patriots, the name
of Abraham Lincoln. He won the IA
tons confidence as no other man since
Washington has won it. | know it is
said we are fallen on degenerate days
and that the race of men in whom great
ness and goodness are united is extinct:
but the very power of this cry of corrup-
ton is proof that the people are still I'M
willing to call any one great who is not
pure and good. And if our statesmen
are corrupt the remedy is in our hands.
The destiny of the American people is
not in the keeping of Congress nor at
the disposal of political conventions. 1t
is being wrought out in the unpretend-
ing school houses and modest churches
to which we may point visitors FROM all
parts of the world with honest pride as
the secret of our marvellous progress and
the pledge of our promising future. The
civil war taught us that a people lntelli-